China is one of the oldest civilizations, which has been known chronologically thanks to the dynastic continuity that has lasted until the 20th century. From the earliest dynasties in the Yellow River Basin, dynasties like Xia or Shang, until the last dynasty, Qing dynasty. We explain now which are the best known and most important Chinese dynasties.
The first writings of more than 3,500 years ago, narrate very precise data of the first dynasties, which until now have been captured on paper, which has allowed us a very exact knowledge of each reigning dynasty in the great Chinese Empire, its achievements , its wars, its great works. In today’s article we want to focus on The Chinese Dynastieswhat they contributed to society, what type of government they carried out, what great works they developed, etc.
The dynasties of China | archaic period
The Archaic (or Neolithic) period of Chinese history spans from 6000 B.C. C. until 2100 a. C., and predates the Xia dynasty. It is ruled by Three Augustus and the Five Emperors, which modern historians consider leaders of various ethnic groups, rich in ancient mythology, who with their wisdom and powers were able to improve human life. Some of them, in fact, became Taoist deities.
From nomadic migrations to a sedentary life, people lived in rudimentary villages, depending on fishing and hunting. As early as 5000 BC, the culture Yangshao (and later the Longshan culture in 3000 BC) is present in the valley of the Yellow River with an agriculture that ensures an increase in the population (given the ability to store resources), an administrative system, house construction, handicrafts, and ancestor worship.
Hence the existence of vases and amphorae for family purposes, conservation of grains and also for funerary rites that celebrated the memory of the ancestor. The earliest ceramics produced in China date back more than 10,000 years, with pots of fine and delicate terracotta paintings, showing its beauty, mastery and practicality.
Longshan artisans knew how to use the wheel and produced pottery of very high quality. The cultivation of rice, silkworms and silk production was already widespread in this period.
The dynasties of China | Ancient time
We can speak of two periods in the Chinese dynasties, a first phase in which the government was directed by the king and a second phase, coinciding with the unification of the country in which the King changed his title to that of Emperor. This second stage is imperial era. Let’s start at the beginning, which dynasties were the first in what is known as Ancient time.
The Dynasties of China – Ancient Times | Xia dynasty (1994-1776 BC)
the Xian dynasty, is the first dynasty of which there is evidence, a dynasty that covers the periods from the S. XXI a. C. until the 16th century BC. C. According to the stories of Sima Qian, in his work “Historical Memories” or “Historical Records”the 17 kings of the Xia dynasty are named.
It was a hereditary dynasty, its disappearance, approximately in the year 1766 BC, was due to the expulsion of its last ruler Jié, due to the tyrannical government he exercised against his people.
confirming its existence (although still disputed by many experts in the sector) are the excavations recent investigations carried out at early Bronze Age sites in Erlitou, Henan province, uncovering urban sites, bronze sculptures, tombs and a palace.
Their existence was not revealed until several centuries later during the Han dynasty by court historian Sima Qian, who speaks of an ancient dynasty, full of mythological stories passed down from ancestors in the past. It is certainly not a perfect and unbiased history of the Xia dynasty, but it cannot be thought of as just a mythological story.
Dayu, in Chinese mythology, the Tamer of the Deluge, a savior hero and reputed founder of the oldest dynasty of China , the Xias. One legend among many recounts the extraordinary birth of Da Yu: a man named Gun took it upon himself to control a large Deluge. For dam the water, stole from the sky what appears to have been a magical piece of land. Angered by the theft, the Lord of the Heights (Shangdi) issued an order for his execution. After three years, Gun’s miraculously preserved body was cut open and he had a son. This was Da Yu who, after years of hard work, provided outlets to the sea through dredging, with the help of dragons, thus making the world suitable for human habitation.
The Dynasties of China – Ancient Times | Dynasty Shang (1776-1027 BC c.)
The Shang dynasty was located in the center and north of China, its capital was located in Anyang, near the border of Henan. Its economy based on agriculture and livestock, deposits found belonging to this period have been able to contrast the existence of bronze containers, weapons and jewelry, then they knew the metallurgy techniques.
The king was the greatest figure, both military and administrative, was in charge of appointing the regional rulers. Society was divided into King, Aristocrats, Priests and Commoners. As a common characteristic in these first dynasties, their disappearance is always the consequence of an exile due to tyranny.
A sufficient number of archaeological finds (bronzes, oracle bones, tortoise shells) speak of the development of this dynasty founded by the Shang Tang commander, who defeated the last ruler of the Xia dynasty at Mingtiao.
Findings about the Shang dynasty (see shells from Cypraea, Anyang, Henan) help to interpret the political, economic, religious and cultural system of these populations, perhaps descendants of the Neolithic Longshan culture who settled in the valley of the Yellow River. From the interpretation of the inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells, and on funerary bronzes found in the tombs of royal families, the dynasty had reached a very high level of civilization.
In fact, the Shang dynasty had developed a complex writing system, a mastery of cast bronze and the production of fairly widespread terracotta pots. The population was dedicated to the mines, transport and refining of copper, tin and lead. To remember, in this period, various jade objects for religious rites, and the development of silk.
More than a dynasty the Shang state was a confederation of fiefdoms and tribes united by the religious and military power of the Shang Kingalbeit a very weak unit, which nonetheless formed the core of future dynasties.
The Dynasties of China – Ancient Times | Zhou dynasty (1050 BC and 256 BC )
The Zhou dynasty occupies the third place within the dynasties traditional chinese. During this dynasty, ornamental arts and techniques related to the desire of the living to communicate with the dead begin to develop.
A time in which the greatest Chinese thinkers and philosophers of ancient times lived, as was the case with Confuciuswhere new religions begin to take center stage, as is the case of the Confucianism and Taoism. With the new thinkers and philosophers a new art is born, Chinese literature.
Various emperors reigned during the long Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BC), which is generally divided into two periods: Western Zhou (1045-771 BC) with the capital Zhongzhou/Hao, near present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi, and Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC) with Luoyang, Henan.
At the end of the Battle of Muye, King Wu defeated the last Shang King Di Xin and founded the Zhou dynasty, which through military campaigns repelled the northern nomads by expanding the territory. The Zhou founded their power on a feudal system, with small city-states with officials, who often met to make important decisions.
The “Annals of Springs and Autumns”, traditionally attributed to Confucius, narrate the events of the period from the 7th to the 4th century, with periods of relative peace, of prosperity, alternated with moments of internal battles between noble rebels. In fact, it was called “the Warring States Period” of the 5th century BC. C., when four more powerful states were fighting for power.
Under the Zhou dynasty, agriculture, hydraulic engineering, and bronze processing for military and civil purposes developed even more so with very high levels of craftsmanship. Jades and, in particular, bronzes, losing their purely religious use, became symbols of authority. At the end of the Zhou, the use of stamped molds and decorations suggests a clear division of quality control of these works. Bronze vases, made for funerary use, reflect a wide variety of decorative shapes and styles.
The Zhou dynasty ended with the surrender of the Wei capital of Kaifeng (225 BC) and the defeat of the Chu (223 BC), Yan, and Zhao (222 BC) states, beginning the era of the Qin dynasty.
The dynasties of China – Imperial Era
With the weakness of the Zhou dynasty, China was plunged into a state of total anarchy. The clashes between states gave rise to the birth of a new dynasty, which although it lasted a short time, was of great relevance. We enter the imperial period. Right now the former King is renamed Emperor.
The dynasties of China – Imperial Age | Quin/Qin dynasty (221 and 206 BC )
The Qin dynasty, this dynasty is named after one of the Northern Qin Warring Kingdoms. This dynasty sees the arrival of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi. During this period 4 kings and 3 emperors alternated.
From this distance, the leaders stop being called kings to be called emperors, being the most important Qin Shihuang, emperor who cmanaged to unify the entire Empire under a single mandate. He establishes the capital in Xianyang, suppresses the feudal power and becomes the maximum power of the Empire.
It is during this dynasty that not only the states but also writing, currency, and the weight system began to unify, establishing the laws that were to govern the Empire. it starts the construction of the great wall in the north, as a protection system for the nomadic tribes of the north.
On the other hand, if all power, including religious power, remained in the hands of the emperor, religions were no longer needed, so Shi Huang ordered all the classics of philosophy and literature to be burned.
The Qin dynasty lasted only 15 years, but during this short period, great works arose such as the aforementioned construction of the Great Wall, connecting the existing regional walls and the recent excavations of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the famous Terracotta Army at Lintong, near the capital Xianyang, in Xi’an, Shaanxi province.
The dynasties of China – Imperial Age | Han dynasty (206 BC and 220 AD)
The They have they start a dynasty that would mark the history of China again for 400 years. The expansion of Chinese boundaries…